[pct-l] ROLLED & SPRAINED ANKLES - FOOT PLACEMENT

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

My guess is it has nothing to do with whether you toe-in or toe-out  
or have straight ahead feet when you walk. I believe it is poor  
balance and weak ankles.

Try this test. Can you put on a sock and then a shoe while standing  
on one foot and without bracing any part of your body on anything?  
You may have poor balance if you cannot do this.

Try this exercise in your bare feet. Jog in place for 30 seconds or  
so to get your heart going. Then stand on one foot and do straight- 
leg leg lifts to the side with the other foot. Do not let the other  
foot touch the ground between lifts. Keep the leg straight and lift  
straight out to the side as high as you can. Don't lean way over for  
balance. Try to stay upright. Do that for about 10-15 seconds. Now  
lift the leg 45 degrees out behind you. Don't let it touch yet! Keep  
your knee straight! Do that for another 10-15 seconds. Now lift the  
leg straight behind you. Don't bend the knee or touch your foot yet.  
10-15 seconds. Now still on one foot, don't touch your other foot  
down yet, stretch it fully behind you, knee straight, bend at the  
waist and stick your arms forward. Try to get a flat back like you  
are superman flying. Hold this position one leg straight behind, arms  
straight forward, flat back for 10-15 seconds.

Okay. You can relax. Now jog in place again and do the other leg.

This will exercise both inform you whether you have weak ankles and  
poor balance as well as strengthen your balance and ankles. It's hard  
even if you have decent balance and strong ankles. Doing this in your  
bare feet you'll see all the little muscles that work when your feet  
and ankles are strong and you have good balance. These little muscles  
can weaken and atrophy, and weakness and poor balance is what makes  
rolling the ankles a problem. Rolling ankles happens, but if it can't  
hurt you, then it doesn't matter.